Distributing devices for solids-containing liquids are used in various applications, one typical example being used in agricultural technology for the application of slurry, for example. Here, the task of the distributing device lies in distributing the solids-loaded liquid from a tank to several openings, for example in order to deliver it via several openings in a spatially targeted manner and at a properly dosed delivery rate. One typical application is the application of slurry via a drag hose device in which the slurry is distributed from the slurry tank to several, for example 5 to 100, hoses in order to achieve a spatially targeted and properly dosed application thereof.
One fundamental problem that arises in such distributor units results from the fact that, due to the nature of the system, the solids-loaded liquid must be distributed from a feed line with a large cross section to several feed lines, each having a small cross section. Due to the solids in der liquid, the danger of clogging arises in the small sections in this system-determined process. It is fundamentally known to couple distribution devices for solids-loaded liquids with a cutting device in order to resolve this problem. As a result of such a cutting device, the solids in the liquid are made smaller, which reduces the danger of clogging in the small cross sections of passage in and behind the distributing device. For example, a cutting device integrated into the distribution device is known that has cutting blades which, in conjunction with a perforated disc, exert a shearing action on the solids when they pass through the holes of the perforated disc. The cutting blade is moved relative to the perforated disc in order to produce this shearing action. The holes in the perforated disc correspond to the outlet openings of the distribution device and are in fluid communication with these outlet openings.
Another problem that arises in distribution devices of the type cited at the outset is that the distribution devices must be operated in different load states characterized by the use of all of the outlet openings in one load state and the use of only some of the outlet openings, in which the other outlet openings are closed. It is desirable to be able to economically operate the distribution devices even in such different load states and a reliable and uniform distribution of the solids-loaded liquid with effective size-reduction of the solids.
Another problem associated with the distribution of solids-loaded liquids lies in the great variability that such liquids have with respect to the flow-related characteristics. For instance, on the one hand, solids-loaded liquids can be characterized by a low or a high solids content, which is typically characterized as solids volume per liquid volume or solids volume with respect to the total volume. On the other hand solids-loaded liquids can differ greatly in terms of the material and geometric characteristics of the solid components; for example, the solid components can have a low or high resistance to shearing forces, a compact, for example spherical geometry or an oblong or plate-like geometry in the manner of fibers or sheets, and they can of course differ in general in terms of their absolute dimensions. Finally, the liquid containing the solids can also have different viscosities. For these reasons, it is known to prepare distribution devices for solids-loaded liquids in a multiplicity of variants, for example with small or larger outlet openings, one, two, three or more cutting blades, perforated disc blades with different geometries and numbers of holes as well as different relative speeds between the cutting members and the perforated disc. It is true that an oftentimes sufficient adaptation to certain characteristics of the solids-loaded liquid and hence a good distribution of a solids-loaded liquid are achieved by this adaptation of the geometric, materials-related and operating point-related parameters of a distribution device. However, this type of construction in previously known distribution devices has the drawback that it is only possible to reach to changes in the characteristics of the solids-loaded liquid in a limited manner by changing the operating parameters, for example the relative speed between cutting blade and perforated disc, and it is frequently necessary to change out mechanical components of the distribution device in order to switch the distribution device from the distribution of a solids-loaded liquid to the distribution of a solids-loaded liquid with different characteristics. It is desirable to provide a better possibility here for the adaptation of such distribution devices for different solids-loaded liquids as well with little effort on the part of the user.
In applications in which distributing devices are used to deliver liquid from an operating vehicle, the additional problem can arise that the volumetric flow fluctuates greatly due to different driving speeds and desired delivery quantities (m3/ha) or is to be varied. There is therefore a need for distributing devices that can be operated variably over a large range with respect to quantity delivered without diminishing the size-reduction effect as a result.